OTEC plant

On Xenesys’ web site there is a short news item about the Palau OTEC collaboration agreement with Saga University. Interestingly they say “The plan is said to construct OTEC power plants at 7 different locations in Palau by 2015, generating 30,000 kW in total”.

According to an article from last year in the Indian publication Business Line, Dr. Harsh K. Gupta, The Secretary, Union Department of Ocean Development (DoD), said that Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldives have sought India’s expertise in the setting up of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants.

These island nations would be perfect users of OTEC technology. The islands are sitting in the middle of a huge energy resource in shape of the ocean surrounding them.… Continue reading →

Engineering students from The University of Sydney have devised a scheme to produce reactive nitrogen for fertilization of the ocean from an OTEC plant. They claim that “Each floating structure could stimulate the growth of 370,000 tonnes of sardines a year, enough protein for three million people, at a cost of $US400 a tonne, or eight cents per person per day.” The University of Sydney News has a recent article about it and also one from January.

A 100 kW OTEC pilot plant was constructed in the Republic of Nauru by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Toshiba Corporation. Operation of the OTEC began in October 1981 with the purpose of validating the design, and developing a 2.5 MW conceptual design using the operation data and construction experience. A storm eventually destroyed the cold water intake pipe, but operational data had already been obtained by then. Read more…

The SSP 100 MW Plantship, which also produces 32 million gallons per day (120,000 m3) desalinated water, uses the same aluminum heat exchanger tube, vapor turbine, and deaeration air compressor technology as the SSP 10 MW shore based technology demonstration plant. Like the 10 MW OTEC, venture capital and construction partnerships are in place, with the first plantship cost estimated at USD $250 million, and the second through sixth units each estimated at USD $150… Continue reading →